Only a moment
by Weskette
Summary: Four years after her escape, Chell is working as a nurse in the local hospital. But her next patient is bringing back the past.  No longer oneshot
1. Chapter 1

**Only a moment**

She didn't like looking at the stars anymore. She couldn't stand it. It had been four years since leaving that... horrible place. Four years since losing her only friend in the entire facility. Four years since she found a town with friendly people who helped her. Three years since she had been asked out on a date by a man from the town. That man had had amazingly blue eyes just like her lost friend's optic had been. It had been only one year since that man had proposed to her and she had said yes. Ten months since she accepted a job offer as a nurse from the local hospital. Only six months since that man had died beneath the very stars that her friend had been lost in. And only three months since she discovered she was carrying the child of her dead husband.

But it had only been a half an hour since she had been called in for a case where a pedestrian had been hit by a drunk driver.

Only a moment since she saw who her patient was.

iWheatley Addams./i Even the same name was a painful reminder. But she had to treat any patient.

"Okay, Mister Addams," she spoke sadly as she entered her newest patient's room. "Seems you-" She was cut off.

"Chell!" The man smiled when he saw her. He had tawny hair, a bruise along his jaw line, freckles over his cheeks, a cast on his left arm, and the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen.

Chell gave him a puzzled look. "Do I know you?" she asked slowly, a bit unsure.

"Oh, right, uh... New body and all... It's me! Wheatley! I was a robot. Remember?" he smiled.

She stared at him, an almost disbelieving look in her eyes. "Wheat..ley?" she whispered.

"Yeah. That's me!" he smiled at her again, not a bit of insincerity on his face.

"How did you get here? And human? How are you human?" she asked bewildered. She set her clipboard down on the little bedside table and took the seat besides the bed.

"Y'see, GLaDOS ran outta test subjects! So she pulled me back from space, don't ask me how, but then she downloaded some scientist's entire life onto my mainframe! It bloody hurt too! But it musta been so I could be a better tester. After that, it's more of a blur... But I woke up as a human! Can you believe that! I'm not sure how, but I managed to escape." He paused to breath, and Chell gave him a small smile. He was definately Wheatley. "I'd been wandering around for a while and finally found that highway where I was hit. And now... you're pretty much up to speed now. Yeah, that's about it." He nodded. Finally taking a moment to look at her, he noticed her nurses uniform, as well as the growing bump on her belly. "You're a nurse... And pregnant..." he stated, trailing off at the end.

"Yeah," she replied sadly. "My husband died... Going on six months now. We hadn't even been married a year..."

"Oh, uh... I'm so sorry I mentioned it! It must be hard to be without him, er.. Bloody hell! I'm sorry!" He frowned as he fought to fix what he had said.

Chell looked at him with another smile, though this time, the smile seemed to hide some pain. "It's okay, Wheatley. I think about him anyway."

"Well... I'm also sorry for all that crap I put you through back in the facility! The tests, the pit... All of it."

"Like I said. It's okay. Now," she stood, and picked the clipboard back up. "I need to get you pain killers. Think you swallow pills? Or do I need to give you a shot?"

Wheatley cringed a little at the word 'shot' and said quickly, "No, no. No need for any needles. I'll take the pills."

"I'll be right back." She walked out of the room, and sure enough, she was back about five minutes later with a small bottle of pills in her hand as well as a glass of water. "Take two."

He followed her instructions and popped the capsules into his mouth and chased them down with a gulp of water.

"This says you can be released tomorrow," Chell informed. She thought for a moment, knowing how he had just escaped from Aperture. "Do you have a place to stay?"

Wheatley smiled sheepishly. "No.. No, I don't..."

She gave him a soft smile. " You can stay with me for a little, if you'd like."

"Thanks, Chell."


	2. Chapter 2

**Apparently, I shoulod continue this. According to almost every reviewer and commenter. Here you go.**

**Oh and I warn you, I have never been in a hospital other than once, when I cut my foot open. Never spent a night there, and have never broken a bone. So if this is a highly different style of hospital from that of the norm, I apologize.**

**Only a moment**

The next morning, Chell woke at the usual time. She was a bit happier than usual due to the fact Wheatley, her Wheatley, had returned. It wasn't the Other Wheatley who had tried to kill her all those years ago. Not the corrupt Wheatley. Her Wheatley.

She went about her morning in the normally, eating her breakfast, and then sitting on the couch, relaxing as she read her new book called 'Steam and Murder'. It was a sci-fi based on a young asian girl named Mitsuru.

Her shift in the hospital was at ten, but within a month, she wouldn't be going to work anymore. That's when she would have maternity leave. She would still get paid, though it would be substantionally less. She would have to try her hardest to get by until she could go back to work.

Chell went into work at her normal time, visiting Wheatley first. He greeted her with a smile, already brightening her day.

"Hiya, Chell!" He gave her a cheery smile.

"How are you, Wheatley?" she smiled gentley in return.

"Fine! My arm hurts a bit, but other than that, I feel great!"

"I'll get you some pain pills, okay?" she offered. "And my shift is over at six. I'll get you released then. And we'll go over to my house."

"Sounds good," he replied. He took his pills from her, and swallowed them quickly.

"I'll stop back in later. I have other patients I need to check on before I can," she informed, slipping the bottle of pills into her pocket.

"Okay. See you later then," he continued smiling.

Chell left the room, going to get her next patient the necesary medicine.

"Hey, Chell. How's your new patient?" Chell's friend, Florence asked as she entered into the storage room. Florence was about five foot three with brown hair that was tied back in a bun. She wore the usual nurse's scrubs, the only variance was the necklace the hung outside of her shirt.

"Fine. I'm... Happy that I'm able to see him," she replied.

"Again?" Florence raised her eyebrows, implying her question.

"Yes, again, Flo. I haven't seen him in... four years. He was trapped there with me," the shorter woman stated.

"You mean he was _there_ with you? Where you were held all those years?" Flo's eyes widened. Chell's story was a popular one around work. She had told it countless times, captivating most of her co-workers. They had heard stories about Aperture science before she had come. They knew the stories of the missing astronauts and olympians from a century ago. So they believde her story, seeing the scars she had been left with.

"Yes. I thought he had.." she fought for a word that would fit, "... Died."

"Oh. Well, it seems he got a happy ending too!" Flo smiled, trying to make her friend cheer up. Chell hadn't been the same since her husband's death, and she hoped the appearance of an old friend would help Chell.

Chell turned away, medicine in hand. _"A happy ending...?"_ she thought to herself, setting a hand on her stomach. Her happy ending seemed to _have_ ended. Her husband was dead, her child fatherless, and her life troubled. Endless worries about how she would support her child or pay the bills in the future.

Her next patient, an older woman by the name of Franchesa Bianco, was sitting up in bed when Chell came in. She had dull red hair and deep brown eyes. She had come in to the hospital due to a minor stroke. She wasn't at all talkative, though she had pertained little to no damage from the stroke.

"Good morning, Mrs. Bianco," Chell greeted. The woman nodded in return, not saying a word.

* * *

><p>Wheatley waited patiently for Chell to return. The television showed nothing important at the moment. Just a random comedy that he had no real interest in.<p>

He jumped when someone entered the room. He had expected Chell, but was surprised when a different nurse came in. One with brown hair in a bun.

"Hi!" she greeted him. "I'm Florence, one of Chell's friends."

"Oh, well, 'ello then," he gave her a friendly smile.

"Could you check what you'd like for lunch off?" she asked, handing him a piece of paper.

He nodded and did so.

"Thanks!" Flo smiled. "Now, to be honest, I just came in here to see what you're like," she admitted.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Well, Chell hasn't quite been herself since her hubby died. She's been really sad actually. So, I came in here to see what you were like. When she got here a few years ago, she was three things. One- she was emaciated. Two- She couldn't talk. And three- Depressed," Florence informed him. "So I wanted to see what you're like. And you seem fine."

".. She was depressed?" he spoke slowly. "I-"

Before he could continue, Chell walked in. "Flo? What're you doing here?" she asked. "You better not be scheming."

"Oh, hush. I'm not scheming. I just came to see what he wanted for lunch." Flo smiled innocently and left the room.

"She's definately plotting something..." Chell muttered. She sighed and turned back to Wheatley. "How are you? Does your arm hurt anymore?"

"Nope! Not at all!" he smiled. "How're you?"

"Not as busy as I'd like to be. They haven't been giving me as many patients. You're the first in about two weeks," she replied, sitting down again.

The rest of the day went on like this. Chell stopping in when she had free time, talking to him. He would ramble on for awhile, leaving her to her charisteristic silence until it was her turn to reply. She enjoyed herself during each conversation. Talking to him took her mind off the everyday stress she had. And she appreciated it.

But she had trouble meeting his two bright blue eyes. They reminded her of her lost husband.

* * *

><p><em>Chell had to go to speech therapy everyday. It was only for an hour and a half, but it did help.<em>

_She had just left her latest session. Her voice was only just growing in strength, but still only just audible. She could speak sentances now without her voice giving out. It had taken her some time. With no reason to speak often, she felt no need to learn again._

_But Chell was greatful for the charity she recieved. The people in the town had provided her with a job, as well as a temporary place to live. She even had a little car for transport._

_She frowned when she dropped her keys going down the three small steps infront of the health center. She bent to pick them up and her hand met someone elses._

_"Oh, sorry," a man's voice spoke._

_She looked up and met blue eyes. He had fair features, blond hair, and pale skin. Overall, he was handsome. She blushed, as he handed her the keys, their hands brushing again._

_"Hi," he greeted with a happy smile. "My name's Mark."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Who knew that so many already guessed on Chell's husband's name? To the reviewer who didn't leave a name, I would've named him Rick, but everybody would have said "Ohh! Adventure Core!" when he wasn't. (Though, to be honest, I thought Rick was absolutley adorable with how he swooned over Chell. "Happy Explosion Day, gorgeous.")**

**CONTINUING.**

**Only a moment**

_"My... My name's Chell," she attempted to reply. Her voice was weak, but he heard it well enough._

_"Nice to meet you, Chell," Mark replied. "Were you coming out of the health center?"_

_She nodded. "I... I can't speak very... well."_

_"Damn, I'm sorry. Wait, are you the woman that was found collapsed at the edge of the woods awhile ago?" he asked, curiosity taking over his face._

_She nodded again._

_"Oh, well I'm glad your okay," he smiled._

_"Thank you..." she replied shyly. She wasn't used to talking to anyone but her doctor and her possible employers(though she hadn't found a job yet)._

_"Um, Chell," Mark began, an odd look on his face, "I know you don't talk much, but I'd like to know you better. Maybe we could go on a date? This friday?" __She blushed. She opened her mouth to reply and found she couldn't speak. She nodded slowly and was happy to see a smile come to his face. "See you at seven?" he asked._

_"Ss... Sounds nice..."_

* * *

><p>Six o'clock came and Chell checked Wheatley out of the hospital. It was a fifteen minute drive to her house. He happily filled what was once silence with talking, well, rambling really. She was fine with it. Silence, though she was used to it, was not what she enjoyed.<p>

Silence is what she had endured for the past six months.

She pulled into her driveway and climbed out. He followed after her as she went inside.

"You can sleep in the guest room," Chell informed him. "And, as for clothing... You would probably fit into some of Mark's old stuff..."

Wheatley looked down. He had forgotten he was in a pair of orange trousers, and a t-shirt that said Aperture science. "Was... Was Mark your husband?"

Chell gave a small nod.

Wheatley didn't reply, not quite sure what to say to her.

* * *

><p>"They look like they fit well," Chell noted.<p>

Wheatley stood infront of her wearing a pair of Mark's jeans as well as one of his shirts. "They do. Thank you, Chell, for letting me use them." He still felt quite awkward in the situation.

"It's no problem," she replied. "I was going to donate alot of it to charity. At least, now, someone's using them." He nodded. "I'll go make us some dinner," she stated and turned to do so.

"Want me to help you?" he offered.

"No, it's fine. If you want, you can watch TV," she said.

"I owe you alot, Chell." He looked downward in an apologetic manner. "I... I wanna help you as much as I can."

She opened her mouth to reply, but was left speechless. His concern was genuine. So few people spoke with real feeling towards her anymore. At most, Florence did. But she wasn't like Wheatley. He had a sort of innocense that made Chell feel like everything would be alright. He spoke to her like he wanted everything to be better.

"Thank you, Wheatley," she whispered. "But I don't need help. If I do, I'll ask, okay?"

He smiled. "Okay, Chell."

* * *

><p>"How's the patient?" Chell asked as she entered the room.<p>

"The myoclonus seems to have stopped. What caused it?" a fellow nurse asked. He was new and she wasn't familiar with him. His name was John and she was in charge of showing him around. He was taller than her by four or five inches, with brown hair in a 'short back 'n' sides' style, and his build was a balance of lanky and muscular.

"He was shocked by a faulty wire while working on his house," she answered. "Think you can handle treatment?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I need to go home," she spoke. "If you need any help, go see Flo. She's good at her job."

"Okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow then." She turned and walked away. Her mind was immiediatly snatched by the worries of what she would do once her maternity leave happened. Her pay would drop to only about a fifth of her normal paycheck. On that, she'd barely be able to pay the bills, not to mention feeding herself and the baby.

But Chell was certain she'd make it. Somehow. All she needed was a little hope.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry for how short this one is. But I do have a little proposition. Well, more of an offer or a poll. Rick was a very... Popular person when it came to who people wanted for Chell's past. So, if everyone is okay with it, review saying that you'd like Rick to enter the story. He would be a new character and wouldn't recognize Chell or Wheatley nor vice versa. But he'd be one of there friends and introduced through someone else.<strong>

**So, if you'd like Rick to enter our little story here, review and tell me so!**


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